KL's opposition leader says he is no threat

KL's opposition leader says he is no threat

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysian opposition leader Razaleigh Hamzah dismissed claims he would represent a threat to the leadership of the ruling United Malays National Organization (UMNO) when he joins the party, a news report said yesterday.

Razaleigh, an arch-foe of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, described himself as a "gurkha" and said he and 200,000 other supporters of his soon-to-be disbanded party were joining UMNO as ordinary members.

He said the UMNO leadership, including deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim, had nothing to fear from him or his supporters because they were joining UMNO without "position or money."

"It's really Malay unity. If other people want to view it differently, let them. I cannot see how any of us can shake any of the leaders there (in UMNO). It's impossible," he was reported saying in the New Sunday Times.

Describing his relationship with Mahathir as that of "very good friends," Razaleigh admitted that ties between them were strained after 1981 but insisted he had nothing personal against the premier.

Razaleigh ditched UMNO in 1987 to form an opposition party, Semangat 46 following a bruising bid to oust Mahathir as UMNO president, a post that traditionally allows its holder to become premier.

Mahathir's announcement in May of Razaleigh's possible return to UMNO has since sparked speculation the premier was using him to thwart any attempt by Anwar to prematurely unseat him as party president and prime minister.

But the 72-year-old premier two months ago denied rumors of a bid to undermine his deputy and gave assurances he would give his full support to the 47-year-old Anwar.

A prince in northeastern Kelantan state, Razaleigh's return with more than 200,000 supporters would bolster UMNO's 2.4 million membership and foster Malay unity. Malays make up about half of Malaysia's 20 million population.

More significantly, Razaleigh could also return Malaysia's sole opposition state, Kelantan, to UMNO.

Razaleigh's Semangat and the opposition Parti Islam (PAS) teamed up to wrest Kelantan state from UMNO control in 1990, riding on the dual tickets of Malay nationalism and Islamic fundamentalism respectively.

Razaleigh's return to UMNO follows the break-up of the six- year alliance with PAS which he described as "a nightmare," calling their leaders "old foggies doing things in the same, old conservative way."

Razaleigh was confident that in the event of a snap election, PAS would lose the state because UMNO's strength would be boosted by Semangat.

"If we shift our support to UMNO, UMNO is going to win hands down. PAS without us will be weaker because we reach out to the modern Malays," he added.

Political developments are keenly followed in UMNO, which is the backbone of the ruling 14-member National Front coalition. UMNO has ruled the country since independence in 1957.